Disclosed generally are toner and developer compositions, and more specifically, toner compositions, including magnetic, single component, two component and colored toner compositions containing a compatibilizer which can also function as an embrittling agent and a least one wax component, and wherein the embrittling agent can increase the toner components pulverizing rate up to about 84 percent higher than a number of current production toner rates to thereby reduce manufacturing costs. A compatibilizer, for example, allows the wax phase to be substantially fully dispersed in the resin phase; when the wax is not well dispersed in the toner it is removed during processing and contained in the final product and is not available to fully serve its release function in the fusing subsystem. In embodiments, the toner compositions can contain a polymer, a colorant, a wax, a wax compatibilizer/embrittling agent, toner additives, such as charge enhancing additives, surface additives, and the like, and also the toner can contain two polymers, and in embodiments from about 2 to about 10 polymers comprised, for example, of a first resin, a second crosslinked resin, a wax component, and a compatibilizer component. In embodiments, the toner compositions are comprised of resin particles, including first resin and second crosslinked resin particles, colorant, such as pigment particles, a wax component, such as polyolefins like polypropylene wax, polyethylene wax, and mixtures thereof, and a compatibilizer, such as a copolymer, homopolymer, aromatic copolymers, and more specifically, polymers available from Mitsui Chemicals as FTR Series, like FTR-1625F, and the FMR series, like FMR-0150, and which polymers are, for example, methyl styrene homopolymers, methyl styrene copolymers, polymers containing an aromatic monomer and a methyl styrene copolymer, polymers containing an aromatic pure monomer and a methyl styrene aliphatic copolymer, aromatic pure polymers, aromatic pure monomer/aromatic monomer copolymers, and the like, all available from Mitsui Chemicals as the grade zero series, the 2,000 series, the 6,000 series, the 7,000 series, the 8,000 series, FMR series and the FTR series. More specifically, the compatibilizers that can be selected for the toners of the present invention are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,547, the disclosure of which is totally incorporated herein by reference.
There are also provided in accordance with the present disclosure positively or negatively charged toner compositions comprised of resin particles, colorant particles, a wax component, such as a low molecular weight polyethylene wax, a polypropylene wax, or mixtures thereof, a compatibilizer/embrittling agent as illustrated herein, charge enhancing additives and surface additives like colloidal silicas, metal oxides, and the like. In addition, there are illustrated herein developer compositions comprised of the aforementioned toners, and carrier particles. Furthermore, in embodiments of the present invention there are provided single component toner compositions comprised of resin particles, magnetic components, such as magnetites, a wax component, such as polypropylene wax, the compatibilizer component as illustrated herein, and optional known toner additives.
The disclosed toner and developer compositions are useful in a number of known electrostatographic imaging and printing systems, especially those systems wherein a wax is present in the toner, and wherein in embodiments the toners possess a wide fusing latitude, for example about 100° C., which is the temperature range between the minimum fixing temperature of, for example, from about 100° C. to about 170° C., usually selected for fixing toner particles on paper and the hot, for example, from about 180° C. to about 250° C. offset temperature. The developer compositions disclosed can provide toner images with low surface energy and a low frictional coefficient, which properties enable the effective release of paper from the fuser roll and provide for a reduction in image smudging. Further, the developer compositions possess stable electrical properties for extended time periods, and with these compositions, for example, there is no substantial change in the toner triboelectrical charging values.